Walk By Faith

For we walk by faith, not by sight:

2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV

A Walk

This lovely morning, I walked in our neighborhood with a girlfriend who lives across the street from me. Traversing the sidewalks, we commented on the appearance of various landscaping, additions to homes, fences and siding color schemes, and the upkeep of land owned by the Franciscan Village. My friend wants to make some changes in her own landscaping, and my house needs painting. Naturally, we desire aesthetic beauty for the exterior of our property, yet we also discussed the housing market. When the time comes to relocate, will we recoup the costs invested? 

After a lengthy hike, including huffing up and down the hill, we stood in my driveway still discussing our opinions and choices. To my surprise, a woman appeared from around the corner of my house, sweeping the sidewalk with a white cane. I whispered to my friend, asking if she knew the lady, which she did not. As she turned toward us, I called out to our dog to move off the sidewalk, to which the woman replied that she was not afraid of Oreo. (Mighty brave, I thought, since earlier my friend and I got nervous seeing a dog restrained by an invisible fence!)

Lola stopped and chatted with us for awhile. She shared how her failing sight has presented her with new challenges and limits her freedom; however, she seemed determined to overcome her disability. Expressing how her family assists her, Lola also asserted that she must become self-sufficient in case she should ever be alone. Hence, her journey outside! This time she was walking around two blocks, but her first trip was simply on her block. Fourteen minutes, she exclaimed, was how long that first excursion took. She was driven to cut that time down, avoid falling, and master the use of the white cane. My friend and I encouraged and congratulated her as she continued toward home. 

A Walk by Faith

I now realize that I have previously met Lola. I remember her pushing a stroller with her six month old granddaughter and stopping to chat in my driveway. The contrast between the two meetings is stark. A short time ago, Lola walked as my friend and I did today, viewing the trees, flowers, grass, brick and painted homes, fences and pools. She probably pointed out birds and squirrels to her little grandchild. But today, Lola walks by faith, not by sight. Faith in a white cane to notify her of uneven pavement, street corners, and other sidewalk impediments. Faith in her other senses to alert her to animals, pedestrians, oncoming vehicles, and more. Faith in her own confidence to conquer her failing eyesight and overcome resulting limitations.

Lola encourages me today to examine my own walk. Am I relying too much on my sight to guide me? Do I place too much emphasis on outward appearances, whether it is landscaping, curb appeal or my own physical body? In what areas is God calling me to walk by faith in His plan and His priorities rather than by what I see as the way or the goal? Do I trust Him with my family, my home, my finances, my health, my life, even when the answers are I seek appear dark and hidden?

Faithfully Walking With God

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I do believe that God instructs to care for ourselves and to be good stewards of the world in which we live. I read it in His Word to me. He also tells me that I am to value Him above all created things. Therein lies my challenge--my task--to overcome my tendency to value what I can experience with my senses over what I experience by faith alone: my Lord and Savior.

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33

Girlfriends, today, I thank Lola for her courage to walk by faith. She has inspired me. Yes, I still have appointments for painting and repair estimates, trips to Home Depot for dirt and mulch, and a deck screaming to be stained; however, my top priority daily is conversation with Jesus about the state and condition of my soul and following up with application and maintenance!

Ladies, my prayer for you today is simple: May you walk by faith, not by sight. Without having seen, I pray you will believe that Jesus died for you sins--past, present and future--and accept His salvation offered by grace through His atonement. I pray you will schedule a soul examination with yourself and God: How important are appearances to you? Are you being a good steward of God's gifts to you, or are you valuing the gift more than the Giver? I pray time with the Lord will reveal answers and solutions which you implement. And I pray for Lola, and any of you, struggling with a physical challenge that threatens the ability to walk, to go forward in life. I say it again, may God give you the strength, courage, and desire to walk by faith!

Love to you all!

TrUSt

  It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humans. Psalm 118:8 NIV 

Girlfriends, in whom do you place your trust?

Seriously, think about it. Do you trust your spouse? Your parents? Your siblings? Your best friend? Your co-workers or classmates? Your teachers or pastor? Your dog? Yourself?

Trust No One

Many will say, "Trust no one." Looking at the world today, that advice seems sound. People disappoint one another at every turn. Infidelity, betrayal, and divorce are rampant. The news headlines today scream about Secret Service Agents engaging with prostitutes; parents stealing $1M from a disabled son's trust find; and classmates being DNA swabbed in efforts to find a 13 year old's killer. The only good news comes surprisingly from dogs in Los Angeles:

"A loyal Labrador Retriever named Maggie, who was videotaped as she guarded the body of a yellow Lab hit and killed by a car in Southern California, was reunited with her family today....Maggie's loyalty to the dead dog was so poignant and so risky that shelter workers nicknamed her Grace, as in "Amazing Grace." The video shows traffic speeding by just a few feet from the dogs."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/17/loyal-dog-who-stayed-by-dead-dog-side-reunited-with-family/#ixzz1sJi99Wpu

Leave it to the dogs to put the "us" in "trust"!

Why Trust?

I have suffered the hurt and disappointment of broken trust. Sorry to say, I have also been the perpetrator of shattered trust. Can any among us claim otherwise? As today's Psalm tells us, God is the only One in whom we can have perfect trust...even our dogs will run away, chasing squirrels, birds, or one another, given the time and freedom!

Yet, I want to be a trusting person. Being married to law enforcement can challenge me in that area. Because he daily sees the evil face of human nature, my husband can make me edgy at times. Constantly reminding me to lock the doors, hang on to my purse, or face the entrance/exits in a restaurant, he fears for our safety because he knows what the psalmist wrote: our only true safe haven is refuge in the Lord.

Nonetheless, I fancy myself to be a genuinely trusting person. I believe in the goodness of man as created in the image of God. We know Jesus conquered sin on the cross and ultimately His Goodness wins. So I try to live life accrediting righteousness to the people I encounter unless otherwise shown. I guess I just do not want to live under the shadow of mistrust and skepticism all the days of my existence, which is the reason I could never do the job my husband thankfully performs. I do not want to acknowledge and face evil on this earth. I seek justice, yet I love grace and mercy.

For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Psalm 71:5 ESV


Do I Really Trust?

So, ladies, by now you may be wondering just why I have a photo of Mandisa and friends at the top of this blog for the Girls' Night Live Tour, and what does it have to do with trusting? (If you are not wondering that because my blog is so long that you have already forgotten what photo was at the top of the page, do not feel bad. My brain works that way too!)

Mandisa's music has been an inspiration to Joslyn through her pain and medical struggles. So a few weeks ago, my daughter invited me to attend this show with her.  The performances sold out in a matter of minutes, and she had only gotten two tickets. When this past weekend arrived, we needed another ticket for either my mother-in-law or my best friend to also attend. Joslyn put out a message on the local Christian radio station's facebook page and soon received numerous offers. I texted a response and located a ticket.

Now, friends, here is where the trust part comes into play. The woman making this offer was so kind. She scanned and emailed the ticket to me without any form of prior payment or identification. She simply trusted me to mail her a check for the cost, which did not even include the fees she had paid by the way! She also told me that she was using a scanned ticket for the show the night before we were to attend and would let me know if she encountered any difficulties.

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:10
 
Now, you would think I would imitate her nature and mail that $20 check asap. After all, she modeled the trusting nature I admire and seek to claim. Unfortunately, a little voice crept in my head warning me to wait until after the show just to be sure the ticket was legitimate. Doubt. Apprehension. I could not even trust myself to be the trusting person I think I am.
Ugh!
Why?
Well, just that day, my daughter's friends had bought tickets from a man outside the Cardinals stadium for the 2012 World Series Champions' Home Opener game. When they reached the gate, they were told the tickets had already been scanned for admission. They had been scammed to the tune of $300. Another example of deception and dishonesty for worldly gain. That memory was fresh in my head.

A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper. Prov 28:5

Trust Anyway

Dictionary.com defines TRUST as "reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc, of a person or thing; confident expectation of something; hope." 


Girlfriends, I want to trust. I desire faith and confidence in my family, friends, associates and the public. I regret that I doubted this sweet woman who placed her trust in me. (I mailed her a check including the fees in a thank you card for her kindness.)  Yet, I also know that God is calling me to put in Him my ultimate faith and trust for salvation from this broken world. He is the Only One Who will never betray my trust in Him.

My prayer for you today is that you will spend some time reflecting upon "trust." In whom do you trust and why? Who trusts you and why? Do you trust in the Lord? Can the Lord trust you? Pray about it!


Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV


Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 2 Samuel 7:28 NIV


But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. Psalm 13:5

You Make Beautiful Things

"All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us...

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new
You are making me new..."

Gungor, Beautiful Things

Girlfriends, I am back!!!!!
I have missed you soooo much!! Yet, I had a wonderful time in Florida with my mom, sister, two daughters and Mark. Lifetime memories created, and oh the stories we have to tell. God certainly blessed us, and I thank Him for safe travels for everyone on that very long drive.

All things new

 And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true. Revelation 21:5 NASB

I returned home yesterday to a wonderful sight. The tree in front of my house is alive with beautiful blossoms. Last fall, I was positive something had killed it. The leaves had disease; the branches were breaking off. Overall, the appearance was sickly. But now, wow:

"But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-19 NLT

As I gazed upon this glorious sight, the song Beautiful Things by Gungor played in my head. If you have not, please click the link above and listen. This song captures my thoughts and emotions on so many occasions. God makes beautiful things...out of dust, out of ashes, out of what appears to our eyes to be dead, out of nothing, out of us! Praise Him!

All Things New, Including YOU

Maybe you are in a state of "dust" right now, feeling useless, defeated, or lifeless? Girlfriends, I want to encourage you to hang in there, wait for the next season of life, just as my tree and I had to remain in hope through winter in order to see God make something beautiful out of a disaster. I love Isaiah 43: forget all the past; it is nothing compared to what God is going to do. He is about to do a new thing and He has already begun if we will just "see." Linger in hope, ladies. God is always at work in us; be patient. 

I pray today that whatever your present circumstances, you will be aware of the mighty works of your Lord. As Gungor sings, "All around, Hope is springing up from this old ground, Out of chaos life is being found in You." 

You have heard this before: God does not make junk! He makes beautiful things, and you are His creation. You are beautiful. Accept it. Embrace it. Own your beauty. Let God's love sink in and seep out. Be His irrigation system to a dry and thirsty world, and notice how much greener the grass is around the source of the water. YOU will grow faster and go farther than you can ever imagine if you patiently let Him work through you. I pray it for you today, Girlfriends, and I stand in the refreshing waters bursting forth. Blessings!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

Fear Not!

"For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." 

2 Timothy 1:6-7

FEAR!
How can one emotion be so intimidating to the point of paralyzing us from action?
Seriously, Girlfriends, is it not fear that drives us away from the dressing room when what we really desire is to try on that cute bathing suit on the store mannequin? Fear that it won't fit our body like it does on that perfect, plastic dummy with no head; fear of the smirk on the dressing room attendant's face that translates to "yeah, right, lady; in your dreams" as she counts each tiny piece of cloth and hands us the number tag; fear of our own self-judgment in the mirror, colored by relentless images in magazines, tv, movies and billboards? Really, is it not fear that drives us to just put that hanger back and go find some XL shorts and a baggie tshirt for the beach or pool? Can anyone relate here?
FEAR!
I have to admit that fear keeps me in my comfort zone, whether it's bathing suit shopping, speaking to a neighbor about a conflict, or challenging the established norms of a society gone astray. Easy is the way when I bury my true desires so that I don't have to step out in faith and act! Instead of feeling good about the "me" God created and not worrying about the "me" I think I should be, I don't buy the swimsuit I really like. Instead of speaking in love to the neighbor and trying to solve the problem, I complain to anyone and everyone who will listen about what a jerk I have living across the street. Instead of writing a powerful letter to my congressman, or asking to speak before the school board, I sit around feeling sorry for myself and worrying about the world my kids are inheriting. And, most recently, fear kept me from the one thing I had strongly felt God calling me to do: publishing my writing!

My comfort zone does NOT include setting up anything technical on the computer. I loved the idea of a blog but feared the process; I had no confidence in my knowledge nor ability to obtain it. Fear was fueled by the memory of past failures: How many times have I called my husband at work, crying (or whining) because the computer would not "just do what it is supposed to do"? And how many times has he lovingly restored to right order the disaster I had unknowingly created by letting the virus monster inside my beloved laptop? Answer: A LOT.

So, just how do we conquer fear? What enabled me to venture into the great galaxy of Google and return with this lovely little blog? The answer lies in the Scripture above.

Paul, a friend and mentor of Timothy, writes these encouraging words to him: For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God...Don't you just love that imagery? God gifts us, both with His Spirit, and then, by the Spirit, with individual gifts with which to serve Him. What starts as a spark, God will help us to enflame. Wonderfully He also provides those encouraging friends, reminding us both of our gifts and of our duty to use them- and use them mightily. I am grateful for those of you who urged me to fan the flames!

But let us not overlook the second half of the message from Paul: "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." YES! My "gift of God" is a spirit that enables me to travel out of my comfort zone and explore with confidence because His power, love, and self-control are also mine. I do not have to fear failure or worldly judgment when I am ablaze with the Spirit!


My Girlfriends, as I have been encouraged, please let me encourage you today. You can conquer your fears! You can have a spirit of power and love and self-control. If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, come to Him today and surrender. He is waiting with open arms to take you in. Confess your sins and ask Him to be the center of your life. You will receive His Spirit. And for all who have accepted Jesus as their Redeemer, listen to Paul's reminder: Fan into flame the Gift of God! With Him, you can do all things (Phil 4:13) so go ahead: Face that challenge, speak up with a strong voice, step out in faith and try something new, or hey, maybe even buy that cute bathing suit and we can go swimming together!
God loves you, and so do I!!!

TGIFriday and the Tree

TGIFriday! And I do not mean the restaurant!

Quite frankly, Girlfriends, I thank God each day He wakes me up to His beautiful world!

The first little, and I mean little, snowflakes of the impending snowstorm are starting to flutter outside my window as I write to you.

I am so glad I got up early and walked Oreo before the temperatures dropped. I enjoy my mornings walks with our dog. I usually start out in the same direction each day, circling around the corner to the east side of the house and heading north on the sidewalk. I have to tell you, though, that we do not get far past our yard before we make the first stop. Sometimes we halt because Oreo is doing the pee-pee dance! But, usually, I am the one pausing to meditate, while she looks up at me with pleading eyes as if to say, “Who’s walk is this, anyway?”

So what give me pause so shortly into our morning stroll?

A tree.

Not just any tree, mind you. My street, my neighborhood, is full of barren trees lining the streets and in the yards.

So what makes this tree under which I stand so special from November to late March?

Leaves.

Not just any leaves, mind you. DEAD leaves.

This tree is completely cloaked in dead, brown, lifeless leaves.

It isn’t beautiful; this tree is honestly just as much a reminder of the bitter cold, stagnant days of winter as the bare trees surrounding it.

Yet I stop beneath this tree every single day…and LISTEN.

What this tree DOES have, on most days, is a rustling murmur that whispers to me in the silence of the season. As the wind passes through the brown, crinkled foliage, I hear the voice of God calling out to me: “I am still here. Do not believe your eyes—what appears dead is really alive!”

What a way to start my day, ANY day, not just TGIFridays!

My neighbor’s oak tree is God’s auditory reminder that HE IS ALIVE and present in this world, in my world, in YOUR world.

My Girlfriends, God is calling you today; can you hear Him? Have even you stopped to listen? It may only be a whisper, or the wind through the dry leaves of an oak tree. But make no mistake, He is alive, and He wants to be your friend too. God is calling you to a relationship with HIM. Figuratively or literally, whether you are living in a place where the trees are green and the flowers in bloom OR you are passing each day in the dormancy and dead of winter, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Spend some time with your Lord today. He wrote you the most beautiful love letter ever—better than any Hallmark Valentine’s Day card –it’s The Bible. I urge you today to hear from the greatest love of your life and know that YOU are His love!

In case you need a place to start, and since it is close to Valentine’s Day, I will leave you with some of God’s poetry: a Psalm. How amazing that in Psalm 1, Verses 1-4, God talks to us about WALKING, MEDITATING, A TREE, WITHERING LEAVES, and WIND.  (And even more amazing is the fact that I wrote this note to you BEFORE I looked up a verse to go with it! Glory to God!)

TGIFriday, and Thank God for _____________.

(My answer is GIRLFRIENDS! Love You!)

Scripture:

Psalm 1:1-4

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
² but his delight is in the law^[b] of the LORD,
   and on his law he meditates day and night.

 ³ He is like a tree
   planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
   and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
⁴ The wicked are not so,
   but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

TESTS

Scripture:
Job 23:3-12:
3 "Oh that I knew where I might find Him, That I might come to His seat ! 4 "I would present my case before Him And fill my mouth with arguments. 5 "I would learn the words which He would answer, And perceive what He would say to me. 6 "Would He contend with me by the greatness of His power ? No, surely He would pay attention to me. 7 "There the upright would reason with Him; And I would be delivered forever from my Judge. 8 "Behold, I go forward but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him; 9 When He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him; He turns on the right, I cannot see Him. 10 "But He knows the way I take ; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold. 11 "My foot has held fast to His path ; I have kept His way and not turned aside. 12 "I have not departed from the command of His lips ; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.



TESTS!!! Ahhh, that word takes me back to school days. How about you? What emotions does that word “test” evoke in you?  Anxiety? Fear? The urge to vomit (ha ha, just kidding…at least I hope I’m not causing anyone to lose their breakfast!) Or, are you one who likes a challenge? Confident and prepared, eager to prove yourself? Or, maybe, you are one who just really does not care? “It will be what it will be.”

TESTS. Life is full of them. Some people may even feel life is one long continual test. Some tests are easy, the “open book” kind, or maybe the “group quiz.” Others are more demanding and lengthy, like semester finals, covering chapters and chapters of life. And then there’s the dreaded “pop quiz.” Oh how those can catch us off-guard, especially when we have dedicated our time to the wrong priorities and did not do our homework.

TESTS. Preparation is always the key. But how can we be prepared for every test life gives us? There is just SO MUCH material. Well, I believe the answer lies in the book of Job. Job was hit by every kind of calamity possible, testing him in every area of his life. The sections of his test were death (loss of children), financial disaster (loss of all he owned), and medical disaster (severe affliction of his body), among others. Even his three friends and wife were of no help in the “group” portion of the test.

So, what was Job’s secret? I would say it was his Teacher. Job was a man of God. He had a bond with the Father that no test could break. Because Job had dedicated his life to living by all he was taught, even in the midst of great pain and agony, he remained confident in what he knew from the Teacher to be the right answers to the test. He did not sin. He did not curse and blame the teacher. He stood firm. He passed the test with an A+++ and great was his reward! (Job 42:12: The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.)

But what I love about Job’s story is contained in the verses you read at the top of the page: Job wanted to talk to the Teacher about his test! Oh how many times have we done that? Maybe sought clarification to a question? Or help with a difficult problem? OR,  in steadfast belief that our answer was correct, to argue and present our case for the way we answered to the test! And that is where we find Job, seeking the Teacher, in Chapter 23. But guess what? The Teacher, in Job’s mind, has left the room! Now what? Here’s the cool part…even when he cannot find Him to present His case, Job trusts that God knows the way he takes and that when the test is over, Job will “come forth as gold.” YES!!!!

Girlfriends, what I want you to know today, whether you are in the middle of a test, just finished one, or preparing for the next, WITH GOD as your Teacher, you will PASS!!! Do not enroll in worldly classes, led by Satan and his legions of false teachers! Choose your schedule wisely; dedicate yourself to the coursework of the Bible. Do your homework; be prepared. My prayer for you is that with the Lord by your side, the next emotion evoked by the word “TEST” will be “BRING IT ON!!”
Love You All!